Magazine for belted ammunition



Dec. 27, 1966 E. M. STONER 3,293,986

MAGAZINE FOR BELTED AMMUNITION Filed Jan. 19, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet l III E 6%, MJMM Dec. 27, 1966 STONER 3,293,986

MAGAZINE FOR BELTED AMMUNITION Filed Jan. 19, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MJM/

Dec. 27, 1966 E. M. STONER 3,293,985

MAGAZINE FOR BELTED AMMUNITION Filed Jan. 19, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 @N M 5 \w Q \\1 \\\\\l/ QN 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. [040/15 M 5741/5? BY M Ma M 1775/71/57? E. M. STONER MAGAZINE FOR BEL'IED AMMUNITION Dec. 27, 1966 Filed Jan. 19, 1965 Dec. 27, 1966 E. M. STONER MAGAZINE FOR BELTED AMMUNITION 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 19, 1965 INVENTOR. [Z/JfA/i M 5744/57 Dec. 27, 1966 E. M. STONER MAGAZINE FOR BELTED AMMUNITION 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 19, 1965 United States Patent mamas Patented Dec. 27, 1966 Free 3,2@3,%6 MAGAZINE FOR BELTED AMMUNITIQN Eugene M. Stoner, Rte. 1, R0. Box 70, Port Clinton, Uhio 434-52 Filed Ian. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 426,577 a 12 Claims. (Cl. 89--34) This invention relates to the combination of an ammunition magazine and an automatic weapon adapted to support the magazine for the withdrawal of ammunition therefrom; and, more particularly, to a device that normally stores serpentine folds of belted ammunition and yet can be easily converted to an open port magazine for attachment to an automatic weapon.

Since the early development of machine guns and comparable automatic weapons, it has been the practice to form belts of individual rounds of ammunition by interconnecting them with clips or links. It is apparent that such belted ammunition offers definite advantages over small ammunition clips or individually reloading such automatic weapons. The use of belted ammunition permits a machine gun to be fired more or less continuously, but the delicate nature of the interconnecting links and belt-feed problems in general have created a number of difficulties, particularly in connection with portable light caliber machine guns.

A number of types of storage and dispensing devices have been tried, including the conventional heavy metal box having a top which is hinged at one end. In order to use ammunition stored in such a box, the gunner or weapon carrier opens the box and attaches the end of the belt to the machine gun. While this approach may have been perfectly satisfactory for many fixed gun emplacements, the increasing use of highly mobile automatic weapon platoons has made it necessary to provide storage magazines, or bandoliers as they are often called, which not only constitute good storage devices for the belted ammunition but are adapted to be efiicient portable dispensing magazines as well.

In an effort to obtain this needed mobility, a metal magazine has been provided on occasion. However, the ones to date have been unusually complex in construction, too heavy to carry efiiciently and expensive to manufacture. Moreover, such magazines have had a decided tendency to jam the belt, a situation which it is perfectly obvious cannot be tolerated under battle conditions.

Still other efforts to provide satisfactory storage devices for belted ammunition have been tried. The use of canvas bags of one sort and another is an example. While canvas bandoliers provide some measure of protection for the belted ammunition, they have obvious disadvantages because the canvas is non-rigid. It provides little or no protection for the cartridges during the rough handling which is to be expected in the field. Inasmuch as it is not too difficult to misposition the metal links interconnecting the cartridges, the automatic weapon can be jammed quite easily. Non-rigid magazines are also less than satisfactory when the angle of fire for the weapon is extremely high or low.

The present invention was an outgrowth of an efiort to provide a truly satisfactory combination storage device and magazine for machine guns. It meets the major requirements for such magazines in that it is lightweight and rugged, it is made of a minimum number of parts, it

securely stores belied ammunition in a stack of serpentine folds and yet it is easily converted for attachment to a mobile machine gun.

Broadly speaking, the present invention for storing an ammunition belt in a stock of serpentine folds includes a substantially rigid openop box having coextensive side walls spaced-apart a distance approximating the length of the rounds of ammunition, an end-for-end reversible lid for the box adapted to be attached in a transport position in which the box is sealed or in a reversed feed position wherein a narrow opening is left in one wall of the box to permit the ammunition belt to be drawn therethrough, and means for detachably securing the lid to the box in the transport or feed position.

More specifically, the ammunition magazine forming the present invention is a combination of a unitary, opentop box having side walls spaced-apart by bottom and end walls a distance approximating the length of the rounds of ammunition, an ammunition port having a smooth curvilinear transition throat formed in one end wall of the box adjacent its upper edge, means associated with the interior of the box to cant the serpentine folds of belted ammunition so that the uppermost layer thereof lies in a plane substantially common with the ammunition port and means to position the terminal link of the belted ammunition for ready access from the opentop of the box; a lid for the box adapted to be mounted in a transport position in which the top of the box and the ammunition port are covered or in an end-to-end reversed feed position in which the ammunition port is uncovered, and with a relief formed therein to permit the terminal link of the ammunition belt to be hooked over an edge of the box when the lid is in the closed position". tongue and groove means for slideably mounting the lid in one of the two enumerated positions; and, means extending from the box adjacent the port for mounting the magazine in its feed position on a machine gun with the ammunition port registering with the magazine receiver section of the machine gun.

Aside from the ammunition magazine per se, the present invention envisages the combination of a magazine for storing belted ammunition in a stack of serpentine folds and an automatic weapon adapted to support the magazine and withdraw the ammunition from it which includes a belt-feed weapon having a 'fecdway to register an ammunition belt for engagement by the loading mechanism of the weapon; an ammunition magazine including a substantially rigid open-top box having sides spaced-apart a distance approximating the length of the belted cartridge, an ammunition port formed in one end of the box adjacent the top edge of the box, a rectangular end-forend reversible lid for the box adapted to seal the top of the box and the ammunition port when in a transport position and to cover only the top thereof when in a reversed end-to-end feed position; and means for attaching the magazine to the weapon when the lid is in the second position so that the ammunition port registers with the feedway of the belt-feed weapon.

The combination also includes means associated with the automatic weapon to stabilize and lock the magazine in place on the weapon and means to block the attachment of the magazine to the weapon whenever the lid of the ammunition magazine is in the transport position rather than in the feed position.

A number of the present ammunition magazines with the lids of the magazines in their closed positions can be shipped in metal boxes of the type now used by the Armed Forces. The magazines are also provided with canvas straps so that a number of them can be carried in the field easily by a weapon carrier.

When a magazine is to be placed on an automatic weapon, the lid is slideably removed from the top of the magazine and reinserted in end-to-end reversed position to uncover the ammunition port. The magazine is then attached to the automatic weapon and locked in position by the cover plate of the weapon.

If the weapon carrier forgets to remove the lid and reverse it, he cannot mount the magazine on the weapon. This feature prevents a soldier from forgetting and mounting the magazine in its closed position. It also acts to remind him to thread the belt into the 'feedway of the weapon after the lid is placed in the feed position and the magazine mounted on the gun. Of course, it is possible that the weapon carrier may, forget to feed the belt into the loading mechanism of the weapon, but this is unlikely since the cover plate of the weapon must be closed over the loading mechanism of the gun to lock the magazine in place.

It is useful to provide endless belts of ammunition where a fixed gun emplacement is envisioned. This can be done with the present magazine. To do so, the lids of a number of magazines are removed and each terminal clip of an ammunition belt, which is normally hooked over the back edge of the ammunition magazine for easy access, is clipped on the initial round of another magazine. Thus, an endless belt for supplying the fixed machine gun is provided.

From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that the principal object of this invention is to provide an ammunition magazine for maintaining belted ammunition in a stack of serpentine folds which can be attached to a machine gun, and which is lightweight, rugged, simple to fabricate, economical and virtually fool-proof in use.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic weapon mounting an ammunition magazine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the attachment end of the ammunition magazine with the lid in it feed position and with certain parts cut away to more clearly show the construction details of the magazine;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the underside of the lid of the ammunition magazine;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the outer end of the ammunition magazine with the lid mounted in its transport position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the attachment end of the ammunition magazine with the lid mounted in its transport position;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the ammunition magazine looking along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 toward the butt of the weapon;

FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line 77 of FIG. 6 to illustrate the inner construction of the magazine and the lay of the interconnected rounds of ammunition;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the magazine receiver section of the automatic weapon and a part of the ammunition magazine with the cover plate of the automatic weapon open;

FIG. 9 is a partial section view taken along line 99 of FIG. 8 to more clearly illustrate the means for mounting the ammunition magazine on the weapon;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the maga- Zine receiver section of the automatic weapon and a part of the ammunition magazine illustrating the manner in which the magazine lid and the weapon mounting bracket cooperate to prevent attachment of the magazine when the lid is in its closed position;

FIG. 11 is a partial section View taken along line 1111 of FIG. 10 to further illustrate the interaction of the magazine lid and weapon mounting bracket;

FIG. 12 is a partial section view taken along line 1212 of FIG. 8 but with the cover plate of the automatic weapon closed to lock the magazine on the machine FIG. 13 is a partial section view taken along line 13-13 of FIG. 4 to illustrate the retention of the terminal belt link at the outer end of the ammunition magazine; and,

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the magazine receiver section of the exemplary automatic weapon of FIG. 1 depicting the means for mounting the ammunition magazine forming the present invention.

Looking first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a portable automatic weapon or machine gun 11 which has a bipod 12 attached to its barrel and an ammunition magazine 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted on its port side. With the magazine 10 firmly mounted on the weapon 11, the weapon carrier can move freely with the weapon in a ready-to-fire condition. As noted before, a number of these ammunition magazines 10 may be carried by a weapon carrier if detachable canvas slings (not shown) are provided.

The various features of the ammunition magazine constructed in accordance with the present invention are best illustrated in FIGS. 2-7 and 13. The principal parts of the magazine 10 are an open-top box 16 and a slideable lid or cover 17.

The substantially rigid box 16 includes a pair of relatively coextensive sides 21 and 22 spaced-apart the approximate length of the belted ammunition 15 stored therein by a pair of end walls 23 and 24 and a bottom 25.

The box 16 has a series of roughly parallel, outwardly extending ribs or ridges 27 formed on the side and end walls 2124 to strengthen the box and to provide a surface that is easily gripped by the weapon carrier. The ribbed construction makes it unlikely that the magazine will slip out of the carriers hand during wet or cold weather.

A generally rectangular shaped mounting lug 18 having a downwardly depending lip or flange 19 is formed integral with the end wall 23 immediately below the edge 30 for attaching the magazine 10 to the machine gun 11.

The ammunition belt 31 is formed of a series of identical rounds or cartridges 15 which are held together by a series of inter-engaged or interconnected links 33 which encompass adjacent cartridges to form the continuous belt. The belt 31 is folded in the ammunition magazine 10, as illustrated particularly in FIGS. 6 and 7, in a stack or series of serpentine folds. The last or terminal clip or link 33a is hooked over the top edge 251a of the outer end wall 24 of the box 16 (see FIGS. 4 and 13) so that it can be located easily. The belt 31 is placed along the wall 24 and then folded back and forth from the bottom to the top of the box 16 in a series of serpentine folds until the initial round 15a rests adjacent the ammunition port 26 formed in the attachment end wall 23.

An integral upstanding projection or shoulder 36 is provided at the bottom 25 of the box 16 to cant the nose of the cartridges 15 so that the top layer 38 of the ammunition belt 31 lies in a more or less common horizontal plane with the upper edge 30 of the attachment wall 23. This is helpful because the noses 35 of the cartridges 15 are smaller in diameter than their jackets 37. As a result, if the noses 35 are not initially canted, the ammunition belt 31 does not lend itself to stacking and will tend to assume a fan shape with the noses 35 out of line with the cartridge jackets 37. This condition has a tendency to cause the belt 31 to jam as it is withdrawn from the magazine 10.

The upstanding shoulder 36 provides a simple means for orienting the upper layers of the serpentine fold more or less horizontally and in line with the edge 36 and the ammunition port 26.

The ammunition port 26 is formed in the upper end of the attachment wall 23 of the box 16 and is partly defined by the side walls 21 and 22 and the upper edge 30 of the attachment wall 23. The attachment wall 23 just below the ammunition port 26 is arcuately shaped to provide a guideway for the ammunition belt 31 as it moves out of the box 16. The curved throat area 32 prevents the lined cartridges from being snapped or jerked while exiting. It thereby discourages fouling 0r kinking of the links 33 that maintain the cartridges 15 in the continuous belt 31.

The rectangular, L-shaped lid or cover 17 having a major leg 48 and a depending leg 44 is slideably attached to the open-top of box 16 by a tongue and groove arrangement. Specifically, there are provided in the upper edges of the walls 21 and 22, a pair of opposite, inwardly extending grooves 21a and 22a. The outer edges 41 and 42 of the lid 17 are in the shapes of tongues and are adapted to slide in the respective grooves 21a and 22a.

This arrangement permits the lid 17 to be placed over the open top of box 16 in a closed position with the depending member 44 covering the ammunition port 26, and in the other, end-to-end reversed position with its opposite end 45 terminating immediately above the ammunition port 26 previously described. Walls 21, 22, edge and lid end together define the horizontal ammunition port 26.

After the ammunition belt 31 has been loaded in the box 16, the lid 17 is placed on it in its transport or closed position wherein the depending lip 44 covers the ammunition port 26, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. There is provided a relief or excised portion 46 in the underside of lid 17 at end 45 so that the lid 17 can be fully closed over the open top of the box 16 even though the terminal link 33a is hooked over the edge 24a of the end wall 24 (see FIG. 13).

With the lid in its closed or sealed condition, the ammunition is maintained relatively free from dirt, dust and other contaminants, and acts as a rigid, lightweight and compact ammunition storage device. In some cases, it may be desirable to seal the ammunition magazine completely by using a wax dip or some form of tape around the margins of the box 16 and the lid 17. However, in most cases, since the magazines are stored in water-proof metal containers until they reach the field, it is unnecessary to take these additional precautions.

The lid 17 also has a pair of spaced-apart, inwardly projecting lugs 47 formed at the margin of the depending lip 44 and the major leg 48. These abut the vertical edges 49 of the end wall 23 to maintain the depending plate 44 sufficiently outwardly from the upper edge of side 23 so that it can be removed easily from the box 16 preparatory to reversing it for insertion in its feed position.

When the weapon carrier desires to convert a magazine to the feed position, the cover 17 is slideably removed from the box 16 and inserted in a reversed, end-to-end position as illustrated particularly in FIG. 6.

Before the lid 17 can be placed on the box 16 in its feed or open port position, the terminal link 33a must be disengaged from the upper edge 24a. As noted before, while the excised portion 46 on the underside of the lid 17 acts to clear the terminal link 33a when the cover 17 is placed on the ammunition box 16 in the closed position, no such depression or relief is provided in the other end of lid 17.

If it is desired to use the ammunition magazine 10 for a more or less permanent gun emplacement and an endless belt is desired, then the terminal link 33a is connected to the lead cartridge 15a of another magazine 16. By this means, there is provided a continuous feed for an automatic weapon.

The lid 17 is also provided with a series of upwardly 6 projecting ribs 51 which strengthen the lid and also provide a good gripping surface under adverse Weather conditions.

The ammunition magazine 10 is attached to an automatic weapon 11, as exemplarily illustrated in FIGS. 1, 8-12 and 14. More particularly, an automatic weapon 11 to which such magazines may be attached includes a transverse feedway 61 overlying the breech 62. The feedway 61 acts as a guide for the ammunition belt 31 as it is drawn through the gun 11 by loading mechanism (not shown in detail).

A mounting bracket 63 extends outwardly from the port side (looking toward the barrel of the gun) of the automatic weapon 11 directly below the feedway 61. The mounting bracket 63 receives the outwardly projecting mounting lug 13 which is afiixed to the magazine box 16.

In the exemplary embodiment disclosed herein, the mounting bracket 63 is formed integral with the floor plate 64 for the transverse feedway 61. It has a central portion 66 with an upwardly extending projection or lip 67 for receiving the projection 19 of the magazines mounting lug 18. The mounting bracket 63 also includes outwardly extending arms 71 and 72 spaced fore and aft of the central portion 66, which arms align the magazine 16 as it is attached to the automatic weapon 11. The mounting bracket arms 71 and 72 also engage the edges of the magazine box 16 when it is mounted on the Weapon 11 to stabilize it.

Somewhat above the arms '71 and 72 are a pair of outwardly extending stop fingers 75 and 76, again spaced fore and aft of the central portion 66. The outer ends 75a and 76a thereof contact the end wall 23 of the box 16 when the ammunition port 26 is immediately adjacent the feedway 61 to stabilize it.

The loading mechanism 65 and feedway 61 of the automatic weapon 11 also have cooperating with them a cover plate 78. The plate is pivotally connected to a frame extension 79 mounted on the barrel of the gun forward of the feedway 61 by a yoke pin 81. During use of the gun, the cover plate 78 is pivoted down and over the loading mechanism 65 and feedway 61 to a closed position enclosing these parts of the gun. Means are provided (not shown) to lock the mounting plate 78 in its closed position.

A locking flange 83 is provided on the port side of the cover plate 78. It has a fiat planar underside 83a which rests against the top of the ammunition cover 17 and upper edge of the box 16 when a magazine 10 is properly mounted on the mounting bracket 63 of the gun 11.

When the magazine cover 17 is in its feed position with the ammunition port 26 exposed and the magazine 16 is attached to the mounting plate 63 by projection 19 engaging the lip 67 of the central portion 66, the cover plate 78 can be locked in its closed position with the flange surface 8311 bearing against the top of the magazine 10. This automatically maintains the magazine adjacent the feedway 61 during use of the automatic weapon 11.

Whereas the stop fingers 75 and 76 normally act to stabilize the magazine ltl during use of the automatic weapon 11, if it is attempted to mount a magazine 10 on the weapon when the lid 17 is in its closed or sealed position, the lower edge 44a of the leg 44 contacts the upper edge of the stop fingers 75 and 76 and prevents the projection 19 on the mounting lug 18 from engaging the edge 67 of the central portion 66 of the mounting bracket 63 (see FIGS. 10 and 11). Moreover, the cover plate '78 cannot be locked in place on the automatic weapon 11 until the magazine 10 has been moved downwardly a suflicient distance to permit the locking flange S3 to rest flush against the top of the ammunition magazine 10 (as illustrated in FIG. 12).

This feature serves as a reminder to the weapon carrier that the lid 17 has to be end-for-end reversed to expose the ammunition port before the magazine 10 can be mounted on the automatic weapon 11 or the cover plate 78 closed. There is no guarantee by this means that the weapon carrier Will actually thread the belt 31 into the feedway 61, but it does require him to reverse the lid and it should act as a reminder that the belt 31 should be engaged by the loading mechanism 65.

The ammunition magazine forming a part of the present invention may best be constructed from thermosetting or thermoplastic resin, such as a high density polyethylene or polypropylene. The use of such plastic permits the box 16 to be formed as a unitary member which is strong enough to protect the ammunition from abuse in the field and yet is light enough in weight so that a number of full magazines can be carried by one soldier. Additionally, if these magazines are formed of a plastic material, their cost is so nominal that they need not be reused. Of course, they can be reloaded if it is desirable, but the rigid unitary construction makes it quite feasible to dispose of them after they are used.

This invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment and in connection with an exemplary automatic weapon, but it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it may be adapted for other types of belt-feed weapons without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For this reason, the invention should be limited only to the extent of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A magazine for storing a continuous belt of ammunition formed with inter-engaging clips in a stack of serpentine folds for shipment and for ultimate attachment to the magazine receiver section of a machine gun comprising:

(a) a substantially rigid, one-piece open box formed of plastic-like material and having relatively coextensive side walls spaced apart a distance approximately equivalent to the overall length of the ammunition rounds;

(b) an upstanding rib formed integral with the bottom of said box to help maintain the ammunition belt in a proper position for its withdrawal from the box;

(c) said box having a series of outwardly projecting ribs formed integral therewith;

(d) an elongate ammunition port formed in an end of the box immediately adjacent the upper edge of the box;

(e) an L-shaped removable lid for the box having a series of outwardly projecting ribs formed integral therewith;

(f) bi-directional tongue and groove means formed on portions of the lid and the box to mount the lid on the box in one position to close the box, and in an end-for-end reversed position to expose the ammunition port through which ammunition is fed;

(g) an unattached clip on the terminal round of the ammunition belt for attachment to the leading round of the ammunition belt of another magazine if continuous feed for the automatic weapon is desired;

(h) said clip adapted to engage the upper edge of the end of the box remote from said ammunition port when the lid is mounted in its closed position and to be freed therefrom when the lid is mounted in its feed position;

(i) a relief cavity defined by surfaces of the underside of the lid to permit the lid to be attached in the closed position when the remote edge of the box is engaged by the clip; and,

(j) means formed on the box and adapted to cooperate with the lid and machine gun to permit the magazine to be attached to the machine gun only when the lid is in the feed position.

2. In combination, a magazine for storing a stack of serpentine folds of belted rounds of ammunition and a machine gun for receiving ammunition from the magazine, said combination comprising:

(a) a machine gun having a feedway to register belted ammunition for engagement by the loading mechanism of the machine gun;

(b) said machine gun having a cover plate;

(c) an ammunition magazine formed of an open-top box having sides spaced-apart approximately the length of the rounds of ammunition by a bottom and ends, and a lid having a depending leg adapted to fit on the box in end-to-end reversed closed and feed positions;

(d) curved guide means in part defining an ammunition port in one end of the box adjacent the upper edge of the box to guide the belted ammunition as it is withdrawn from the magazine;

(c) said lid in its closed position sealing the top of the box and the ammunition port and in its feed position covering only the top of the box;

(f) means for mounting the magazine on the machine gun when the lid is in the feed position so that the ammunition port registers with the feedway; and,

(g) a projection on the cover plate of the machine gun adapted to contact a part of the lid of the magazine to lock it in place after its attachment to the machine gun.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein (a) the mounting means includes a lug with a depending projection formed on the ammunition port side of the magazine and a support bracket afiixed to the side of the machine gun below the feedway; and

(b) said support bracket includes a central portion to receive the depending projection on the magazine lug and fore and aft, outwardly extending flanges which contact the sides of the magazine and stabilize it when it is operatively attached to the machine gun.

4. The combination of claim 3, and including a pair of additional stabilizing flanges which terminate adjacent the ammunition port and act as stop fingers which revent the magazines from being mounted on the weapon when its lid is in the closed position by contacting the lower edge of the depending leg of the lid so that the projection depending from'the magazine lug cannot engage the central portion of said mounting bracket.

5. A magazine for storing a continuous belt of ammunition having inter-engaging clips in a stack of serpentine folds for shipment and ultimate attachment to a belt-feed weapon comprising:

(a) a substantially rigid open-top box having relatively coextensive side walls spaced apart a distance approximating the length of the ammunition rounds;

(b) a lid for the box adapted to be attached thereto in a transport position and in an end-for-end reversed feed positions;

(c) means for detachably securing the lid to the box in a selected one of said transport and feed positions;

(d) means defining a narrow opening in the magazine when the lid is in the feed position to permit an ammunition belt to be drawn therethrough; and,

(e) means on the lid and box cooperating to seal the box when the lid is in the transport position.

6. A magazine for storing a continuous belt of ammunition having inter-engaging clips in a stack of serpen- 65 tine folds for shipment and ultimate attachment to a beltfeed weapon in accordance with claim 5 and including:

(a) a curvilinear guide throat defining a part of the ammunition opening to provide a gradual angular transition for the ammunition belt so that the clips do not separate as the belt is withdrawn from the magazine;

(b) a rib projecting interior of said box to cant the noses of the lowermost layer of belted cartridges, the height of said rib above the bottom of the box being sufiicient to compensate for the different di- 9 ametei's of the parts of the cartridge and orient the upper rounds of ammunition generally parallel to the narrow opening.

7. The combination of a magazine for storing belted (e) means extending from the box for mounting the magazine on a belt-feed weapon with the open port adjacent its magazine receiver section when the lid is in said feed position; and

ammunition in a stack of serpentine folds and a belt-feed (f) means on said lid for preventing the attachment weapon adapted to support the magazine and withdraw of the magazine to a belt-feed weapon when the lid the ammunition therefrom comprising, in combination: is in said transport position.

(a) a belt-feed weapon having a feedway transverse 10. A magazine for storing belted rounds of ammunito the bore of the weapon to register belted amtion in a series of serpentine folds and adapted to be atmunition for engagement by the loading mechanism tached to a magazine receiver section of an automatic of the weapon; weapon comprising, in combination:

l (b) an ammunition magazine including a substantial- (a) a unitary, open box having side walls spaced-apart ly rigid, open-top box having sides spaced-apart a by bottom and end walls a distance approximating distance approximating the length of the belted the lengths of the rounds of ammunition; cartridges so that the serpentine folds of belted am- (b) a lid for the box adapted to be mounted theremunition lie transverse to the bore of the weapon; on in a transport position and in an end-for-eiid re- (c) an ammunition port formed in one end of the box versed feed position;

adjacent the upper edge of the box; (c) means for mounting the lid in a selected one of (d) a rectangular, end-for-end reversible lid for the said positions and to facilitate its removal from the box adapted to seal the top of the box and the am- 20 box; munition port when in a first position and to cover (d) means defining an ammunition port in the magaonly the top thereof when in a second, reversed end- Zine when the lid is in the feed position to permit an toend position; ammunition belt to be drawn therethrough;

(e) means for attaching the magazine to the weapon (e) means on the magazine for covering the ammuniwhen the lid is in the second position so that the amtion port responsive to mounting the lid in the transmunition port registers with the transverse feedway; port position; and and (f) means extending from the box for mounting the (f) means associated with the weapon and magazine magazine on a belt-feed weapon with the open port to prevent the attachment of the magazine to the adjacent its magazine receiver section when the lid weapon when the lid is in said first posiiton. is in said feed position.

8. The combination of a magazine for storing belted 11. A magazine for storing a stack of serpentine folds ammunition in a stack of serpentine folds and a belt-feed of belted cartridges and adapted to be attached to the weapon adapted to support the magazine and withdraw magazine receiver section of an automatic weapon to the ammunition therefrom comprising, in combination: feed the cartridges thereto comprising:

( a belt-feed Weapon ng a feedway transverse 5 (a) a substantially rigid open-top box having relativeto the bore of the weapon to register belted amly co-extensive side walls spaced-apart b bottom munition engagement y the loading mechanism and end walls to receive an ammunition belt with of the p h; u the cartridges disposed lengthwise therebetween;

(b) an ammunition magazine ncluding a substantially (b) an end for end reversible lid adapted to be ngld open'top q g sldes Spaced'apart a 40 tached to the top of said box in either of two positapce approxlmatmg t ength of the belted tiOns in both of which the lid closes off the top of tridges so that the serpentine folds of belted ammunith b e ox, the first position being a transport position tion lie transveise to the bore of the weapon; d th 9 d b a d f d (c) an ammunition port formed in one end of the box an 6 5 a rever.se 6e 081mm adjacent the upper edge of the box; (c) means or detachably securing the on the box ((1) a. rectangular, end-for-end reversible lid for the selecnvely elther one of the Y Posmons;

box adapted to Seal the top of the box and the (d) one end wall of the box hav ng surfaces defining munition port when in a first position and to cover a honzontal ammumnon Opening immedlatell only the top thereof when in a second, reversed endlacent the upper g of the hOX When the d s in to-end o ition; the feed position to permit ammunition to be drawn (e) means for attaching the magazine to the weapon ihefethfollgh;

when the lid is in the second position so that the (e) a depending lip at one end of the reversible lid ammunition port registers with the transverse feedfor covering the ammunition opening when the lid way; and is in the transport position; and

( a covet Plate P y Connected to the w p n (f) means extending from the box to permit the magafor stablhzlng the {nagalme and lochlng it In Place zine to be mounted on a belt-feed weapon wherein on the Weapon, said cover plate being operab the ammunition opening is registered with the magacover the feedway and ammunition portion. Zine receiver section of the Weapon :2 mass izipziaiz alriaaf a tra s: a of a tached to the mauazine receive p ammunition in a stack of serpentine folds and a belt-feed g r section of an automatic weapon comprising in combination: weapon adapted to support the magazine and w thdraw (a) a unitary, open box having Side Walls spaced the ammunition therefrom comprising, in combination: apart by bottom and end walls a distance approxi (a) a belt-feed weapon having a feedway transverse mating the length of the rounds of ammunition; to h bore of the Weapon to reglsier belted g (b) said box having an ammunition port with a munition for engagement by the loading mechanism smooth transition throat formed in an end wall adof the P t jacent its upper edge; (b) an ammunition magazine including a substantially i (c) a lid for the box adapted to be mounted in a rigid, p box having Sides p p a i transport position in which the top of the box and tance approximating the length of the belted cari the ammunition port are covered and in a feed positridges so that the serpentine folds of belted amtion in which the ammunition port is uncovered; munition lie transverse to the bore of the weapon;

((1) means for mounting the lid in a selected one of (c) a rectangular, end-for-end reversible lid for the said positions and to facilitate its removal from the box;

b 7 (d) means for detachably securing the lid to the box 1 1 v 12 ina selectedone of a first position and a second, References Cited by the Examiner end-to-end reversed position with the lid covering the 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS top of the box in both positions; (e) means defining an open ammunition port in one 1/1945 Trotter 89*34 end of the box adjacent the upper edge of the box 5 2401762 6/1946 Irasek 89 34 when the lid is in the first position; FOREIGN PATENTS (f) means on the lid to cover the ammunition port 458 8/1949 Canada when the lid is in said second position; and v v I (g) means f attaching the magazine to e weapon BENJAMIN A. BQRCHE'L'RP'rimary Examiner.

when the lid is in the second'position so that the 10 t ammunition port r gisters with the transverse feed. FRED MATTERN Emmmer' way. t S. C. BENTLEY, Assistdnt Examiner. 

7. THE COMBINATION OF A MAGAZINE FOR STORING BELTED AMMUNITION IN A STACK OF SERPENTINE FOLDS AND A BELT-FEED WEAPON ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE MAGAZINE AND WITHDRAW THE AMMUNITION THEREFROM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A BELT-FEED WEAPON HAVING A FEEDWAY TRANSVERSE TO THE BORE OF THE WEAPON TO REGISTER BELTED AMMUNITION FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE LOADING MECHANISM OF THE WEAPON; (B) AN AMMUNITION MAGAZINE INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID, OPEN-TOP BOX HAVING SIDES SPACED-APART A DISTANCE APPROXIMATING THE LENGTH OF THE BELTED CARTRIDGES SO THAT THE SERPENTINE FOLDS OF BELTED AMMUNITION LIE TRANSVERSE TO THE BORE OF THE WEAPON; (C) AN AMMUNITION PORT FORMED IN ONE END OF THE BOX ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE BOX; (D) A RECTANGULAR, END-FOR-END REVERSIBLE LID FOR THE BOX ADAPTED TO SEAL THE TOP OF THE BOX AND THE AMMUNITION PORT WHEN IN A FIRST POSITION AND TO COVER ONLY THE TOP THEREOF WHEN IN A SECOND, REVERSED ENDTO-END POSITION; (E) MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE MAGAZINE TO THE WEAPON WHEN THE LID IS IN THE SECOND POSITION SO THAT THE AMMUNITION PORT REGISTERS WITH THE TRANSVERSE FEEDWAY; AND (F) MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WEAPON AND MAGAZINE TO PREVENT THE ATTACHMENT OF THE MAGAZINE TO THE WEAPON WHEN THE LID IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION. 